The key for Steve Rummel in Forest Park School District 91’s superintendent search is alignment.
Not just with staff, administration and students, the board of education president said, but the community.
“When you start to get down to vision and communicating that vision, is (the candidate) able to update that vision based on the environment they are in?” Rummel said Friday. “We all have visions and dreams and hopes and goals, but at the end of the day, can I articulate what that vision is and best serve the community?”
District 91’s superintendent search is being headed by the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) and Dr. Carmen Ayala and includes an online survey that will end Friday. In addition, IASB planned to host focus groups Monday at Forest Park Middle School involving district administrators, certified and non-certified staff and the community at large.
Based on all that input, IASB will create a model candidate profile that will be posted on the district website in October, according to director of engagement Rachelle Ernst. Interviews will begin later this fall. The plan is to appoint a new superintendent by December. That person would begin their tenure July 1, 2027.
Ernst added that students will also be tabbed for their insights as the process unfolds.
“I can say we value student voices in the process and their experiences in District 91 should inform the candidate,” she said. “They are the ones who are experiencing the education in District 91.”
Dr. Timothy Kilrea and Dr. James Gay, both retired, are the district’s co-interim superintendents until a new superintendent is hired. Kilrea, former superintendent of Lyons Township High School District 204, said there is a lot to like about the District 91 position.
“I can tell you what’s good about it is there are great people here, strong community support, healthy fund balances and a focus on doing what’s best for kids,” he said. “Here, there is a pervasive feeling that it is all about the kids, and that’s nice.”
Rummel, whose youngest graduated eighth grade last year, agreed and went back to the community focus.
“We’re a small enough town and the district is small enough and we’re well supported by the community and taxpayers and we do our best to use those resources to best effect,” he said. “We have a really diverse community.
“If you look at our test scores, they are getting better and that’s a metric, not a measure,” he said. “We have a high focus on equity and social-emotional learning, which is laying the groundwork for the education (students) have a right to.”
Two board members appointed
He’ll have new help in board selection of the new superintendent. Christina Hunt and Burhan Syed were sworn in as new members Aug. 20, replacing Shannon Wood and Andrea Marello, who stepped down last spring.
Syed, who was an employee of the board of education in Calgary, Canada for five years, said he would like a candidate focused on student outcomes.
“There are ways to make data-driven decisions to see where our gaps are,” he said. “That flexibility of thought is super important to me. Budget-wise, a superintendent has to make things work. We as a board will set up the vision and some of the governance, but it’s up to the superintendent to execute.
“I would like to have someone engaged with the community,” he added. “They need to be accessible for people, they need to be visible and listen to the parents and forge strong partnerships with the district with the village, libraries and other districts. That ties into the think out of the box, how can we meet our goals?”
Kilrea said he and Gay are not involved in the search process, but he understands how such matters work and he credited the board with taking its time to gather the appropriate input to make the best possible decision.
Added Ernst: “This is not a pause year for us. We still have high expectations for students and staff and they are supporting us on this journey. It’s a really exciting time in Forest Park.”